Vengeance is Catching
by MasiaK
Summary: There's a new bug going around Konoha, literally. Along with it comes many sudden disappearances, and an entirely new threat.
1. Stage 1

It's time for this Leaf Village to _wilt_.

"Take one last night to sleep peacefully, take one more breath of relief, and say 'Goodnight' to your loved ones one last time, Konoha."

He stood on the Hokage Monument, and spat in disgust. He, too, took one last look at the soon short-lived stability of the Leaf Village. The bug specialist felt the cool night wind tug at his cloak, and used the light of the moon to trace an intricate sign on a large sheet of paper, in his own blood.

He smiled as the smoke from his summon cleared, and as he gave his insects their command to go forth.

"Get ready, Konoha." He thought with a renewed sense of vengeance. "_This_ parasite will eat your village inside and out."

* * *

Haruno Sakura walked swiftly down a corridor in the Hokage Residence, towards lady Tsunade's office. She glanced at her blonde teammate, who was barely keeping up to her pace.

Naruto put his hands on the back of his head and frowned. "Why does Grandma Tsunade want to see us anyway?"

"I don't know, maybe it's a mission or more information regarding the Akatsuki." Sakura shrugged.

"Sakura!" Ino called, running towards the duo with a hand raised. Trailing behind her were Shikamaru and Chouji, Shikamaru wearing his usual expression of boredom.

"Sakura? Naruto? You're here too?" Chouji asked, finally catching up with Ino and standing outside the Hokage's door.

"Yes we got called to go—"

"Oi! Sakura, Naruto, Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru! What are you doing here?" Kiba took his hands out of his pockets and petted Akamaru as he and his team drew near the other shinobi.

"Well everyone's here except Sai and Team G—" Sakura started again, only to be interrupted for a second time.

Rock Lee was running down the hallway…on his hands. Tenten and Neji's temples throbbed with aggravation.

"If I cannot run 2000 steps on my hands, then I will do 3000 sit-ups!" Lee asserted.

Sakura put a hand to her forehead, "Okay, that's everyone but Sai. Let's just go in."

* * *

Once inside, everyone was surprised to see Sai, already talking with the Hokage.

"Is everyone here? Good, close the door." Tsunade leaned back in her chair and let her eyes fall on everyone in the room. "There's been an epidemic, which may be linked to the Hot Springs." The Hokage waited a moment so as to let everyone digest what had been said.

"Several visitors to the Hot Springs have later come to the hospital complaining of severe pain in their upper arms, to the point where the screaming was so overwhelming that they had to be sedated. Consecutively, about an hour after admission to the clinic, patients begged to be released and set free. Further denying their requests led to some getting violent, we've even had veteran Abnu members attack the medical-nin." The Hokage shifted in her seat.

The _Konoha 11 _exchanged looks ranging from horror to minor shock amongst them.

"Then, what happened when patients were allowed to leave?" Tenten asked.

"We don't know." Sai said with his cheery fake smile.

"He's right. They just disappeared, and were unable to be found the next day. A lot of our resources have been lost this way, so we're making use of every capable shinobi we have left."

"So, what exactly is our mission?" Neji inquired.

Tsunade grabbed a file off of her desk and handed it to Shizune, who passed out papers detailing the events and mission information.

"We've found a lead, and we're following it." Tsunade said bluntly.

* * *

Abe Fusachiko grabbed her towel and climbed out of the Hot Spring. She had enjoyed her soak, but was confused. Shouldn't the steam have gotten rid of the pain in her arm? As she dressed and left the spring, the pain in her arm intensified. She fell on her knees, outside of her apartment. The 'Welcome' doormat wasn't so welcoming. She was in agony. It felt like something was gnawing at her flesh, her arm was searing with pain.

Fusachiko laid outside her apartment for an hour, then suddenly felt the urge to stand. The pain hadn't subsided, but she ignored it. All she wanted to do was find this man, the image of whom kept appearing in her mind.

Fusachiko knew where to find him, she was sure of it. She _needed_ to find him. And so, blinded by her goal, she exited the Hidden Leaf's gates.

* * *

***Fusachiko means 'misfortunate child' because well... poor Fusachiko.**


	2. Stage 2

"Hokage-sama, we've lost another ABNU member." The masked shinobi teleported into the Hokage's chamber.

Tsunade slammed her hands on her desk, quickly rising from her chair. "What? Another?"

The rabbit-masked ABNU member continued shakily, he didn't want to be the next dent in the wall. "H-Hai, Abe Fusachiko hasn't been seen since returning from her last mission, the previous night. Reports say she usually frequents the Hot Springs after returning to the village."

The Hokage seemed fully enraged now. She slammed her hands on her desk again, causing its wood to splinter. Shizune gasped and took a step forward, putting Tonton down.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune begged with concern.

Tsunade seemed to have calmed down, and she gave a curt nod to dismiss the ninja in front of her. He teleported the heck out of there.

* * *

Teams Gai, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai were gathered together on '_Training Ground 7'… _minus their respective Jonin.

"So … who's going to do it?" Kiba brushed off a leaf that blew onto his face.

"Do what?" Naruto asked, still not understanding the mission brief.

"Be the bait." Shino answered matter-of-factly.

Cutting off any further questions, Shikamaru cut in. "One of us is to go to the Hot Springs and try and get infected with _whatever_ this is."

The shinobi exchanged glances.

Shikamaru continued, "Then we'll track them to the destination victims keep disappearing to."

"Lady Tsunade said most victims have been females…" Hinata trailed off, getting quieter with each word.

Ino huffed and stood with her hand on her hip, "I'll do it."

The others quickly abandoned their selfish sense of relief, and turned it to concern. Sakura was the first to speak. "But Ino, we don't know what will happen!"

Ino tried to lighten the mood, "So you're worried for me '_Forehead Girl'_?" She remained composed on the outside, but truthfully, Ino was fearful too.

* * *

It was a long walk for Ino, from the locker rooms to the actual spring. Luckily, she was the only person visiting today, and the only to visit in the last three days. She dropped her towel and slowly made her way to the edge of the bath.

"Well, here I go I guess." Ino thought as she took a step into the water. She tried to let all her worry evaporate with the rising steam, as she let her body sink lower and lower into the bath. Ino coughed, and quickly pulled her mouth above water. She must have accidently swallowed some of it… or something.

Ino cautiously finished getting dressed, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, perking back up. She knew she'd be fine. As she smiled walking out of the building, she was greeted by her fellow shinobi.

"How do you feel?" Chouji asked putting down his bag of chips. If it meant Ino's health, he could wait a _few _minutes to eat.

Lee gave her a thumbs up as she answered, "I'm fine. Maybe it's just a coinciden—" Ino tried to finish but couldn't. An image of a stranger filled her mind, and she thought about him with great interest. An hour ago, the most relaxing thing on her mind was the bath, but now…

"My…arm hurts." Ino whispered wide-eyed, clutching her limb.


	3. Stage 3

"I-Ino?" Ino heard Sakura ask, suddenly jerking out of her daydream. She was still thinking about _that _man.

Ino threw on a confident smile, hoping to reassure her comrades. She dismissively waved her hand and answered, "I'm fine! I'm going out for a bit, you should report to the Hokage. Everything seems safe in there."

She turned to leave and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Get off me, _Billboard Brow._ I said I was fine." Ino's tone was harsh as she ripped her shoulder away from Sakura's grasp.

"Shikamaru." Chouji hinted quietly as Shikamaru readied the signs for his Shadow Possession technique.

Ino panicked, she couldn't move. She couldn't get to the figure that kept urging her on. "Cut it out, Shikamaru." She said dangerously, and precisely.

"Ino isn't fine. Why you ask? Because she's infected, and trying to leave the Leaf village." Shino remained calm.

"Should we take her to Lady Tsunade?" Kiba asked, glancing awkwardly at Akamaru.

"Whatever you decide, make it fast. I can't hold her for much longer." Shikamaru's voice was strained as Ino struggled against his jutsu.

"I thought the plan was to trail Ugly's friend and find out where the shinobi have disappeared to?" Said asked quizzically, motioning towards Sakura as he said her nickname.

"No! Sakura, stop!" Naruto screamed, trying to keep her from cracking Sai's head open.

Shikamaru gave a sound somewhere between surprise and annoyance as his shadow receded back to him, and as Ino bent her knees to jump into a run.

"I've got it! Shadow Clone jutsu!" Naruto leapt after her, with two clones and everyone else on his tail.

Akamaru barked assuredly at Kiba. "Right, as if we'd lose to him." Kiba said in Naruto's direction.

"Ino!" Tenten called shrilly. "Slow down!" Ino blocked the kunai she threw with one of her own, skillfully dodging the distressed citizens.

The wind whipped her hair as Ino absentmindedly ignored the buildings and people she whizzed past. Why were her teammates following her, wasn't her saying she was fine enough? She clutched her arm. What was once excruciating pain was now a dull throb.

As if she'd known him all her life, a portrait of an alluring figure was painted in her mind. He was silhouetted, in essence and mystery. A long, lavender cloak adorned his frame, flowing out around the black space that was her consciousness. Like a moth to a light, she was drawn to him. All she had to do was lose her pursuers. So if trickery was what it took...she stopped abruptly, letting her friends catch up.

Lee landed with a thud, looking exhilarated. Naruto however, coughed out, "What the heck Ino!"

"I said I was fine." Ino retied her hair, after combing it thoroughly with her fingers. The 'wind-blown' look wasn't her style.

"Ino-chan, we were really worried." Hinata stared at Ino, with a softened but undetectable expression. Thankful the chase was over, she deactivated her Byakugan.

Neji and Shikamaru still looked unconvinced, but seemed to back off so far.

Chouji's stomach growled. "So if everything is fine for now, can we go get some barbecue?"

Silently thanking Chouji's appetite, Ino agreed. "Sure, but you know, you should try and cut down on that. Maybe even try a diet. Let me go home and change out of these then." She said, pulling the sweat-ridden fabric from her skin in disgust.

Reluctant and suspicious agreement echoed through the group.

"Sure _Ino-pig_." Sakura teased slowly. "I'll come too; I can take a look at your arm." She finished, smiling.

Sakura was postponing her meeting with _him_ even further. "I'm a medic too, Sakura." Ino said, but relented when Sakura's face grew more determined. "But if you're sure, just meet me there."

"I'll catch up in a second; I'm going to tend to Naruto. He was heaved over just now." Sakura lied.

When Ino turned, she didn't notice Neji hurriedly clasp a hand over Naruto's mouth, nor did she hear Sakura whispering to the rest of the group.

* * *

The fast paced walk to Ino's house wasn't very interesting for either of them.

There was talk about boys, and missions. They shared news about recent discoveries in medical-ninjutsu.

After a lot of silence and awkward side glances around them, Ino pushed open her front door and announced her arrival to her parents.

"Okay Sakura, I'll be out in a few." Ino closed the door to her room behind her.

Sakura pretended to be oblivious to the slight sound the door's lock made, and to the click of the window inside the room opening. She made almost no sound too, as she exited the front door and signaled Lee with her hand.

* * *

"Step away from the Hidden Leaf gates, Ino." Neji took his 'Gentle Fist' stance.

The rest of her comrades were nowhere in sight. So it was just Neji? Fine.

"Honestly Neji, you're so overdramatic. I'm just taking a stroll outside the village for a bit, before we go to get barbecue." Ino rolled her eyes. Neji seemed… off. It was probably because he didn't really want to fight her.

"Ino, I know what you're trying to do. I know you're sick, but in order to stop whatever is going on, you need to cooperate." Neji said with white eyes.

Ino didn't move for a while. "Tell everyone to come out, I've sensed them already. And Naruto, stop that stupid henge."

Naruto undid his transformation and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Kiba nudged Neji playfully, "He did a pretty good impression of you, eh?"

Neji lightly scowled.

"So, what you're saying is, I can go?" Ino asked cautiously, using most of her will not to throw a smoke bomb and leave _now_.

"Yes." Shikamaru sighed heavily. "But we're trailing you."

"Good, keep up then." With a flip of her hair, Ino dashed ahead.

"Hey, how do you even know where you're going!?" Naruto lagged behind everyone else.

* * *

**? POV**

It wasn't happening fast enough for him. Only about 65% of Konoha's ABNU/Chunin population was here, and he wanted _all_ of them. He wanted them to panic, right before he struck his prey.

He glanced at the sedated humans around him, all with his parasite squirming around in their bodies. Funny, he had all these shinobi, and was still extremely bored. Should he move up his plans?

* * *

"Ino, are you positive this is it?" Lee, like everyone else, was dumbfounded.

They stood in the middle of a basin, surrounded by a jagged wall of rock on almost every side.

"If there's no obvious way, we'll forge a way in!" Lee reasoned, before a hand pulled him back.

"Watch Ino." Tenten pointed.

Ino's steps rippled the water they stood on with every touch. Her pace was slow, but deliberate. She purposefully reached out a hand and touched the rock.

It dissolved at her touch, and her skin started…crawling. Something was moving underneath her arm, like it was trying to break free.

Suddenly, a door appeared, as if triggered by that_ thing_ under her arm. No amount of calling and pleading seemed to reach Ino, as she entered, her friends following her inside.

* * *

"Ah, welcome. Thank you for unwillingly aiding my cause, children." A man with auburn hair said. "Join your fellow Leaf Shinobi over there and await my orders." He motioned smugly, and turned, causing his cloak to twirl elegantly in the dimly-lit cave. It looked like a place fit for bats, and maybe bugs, but not humans.

"As if we'd do that!" Naruto yelled, taking a step forward. His tone caused all the glazed-eyed shinobi and their leader to sharply turn towards the group.

"Well, you might not, but your friend…" The man smirked as Ino leapt, then landed next to him.

"If you're not here to join me, then you shouldn't be here at all." The man's voice grew louder as he slammed a bleeding hand on the ground.

Nothing happened, and the Konoha 11 unbraced their arms.

"Uh…" They looked around. Was this a genjutsu, or just a really lame enemy?

That's when the ground shook, and the design the man had made started to glow.

"Those are—" Shikamaru tried to warn everyone, but he was a second too late. Thousands of bugs started to fly out of the ground from that spot. They looked like fleas, but were only half the size.

Hinata's voice came out startled, "They're filled with chakra!" she yelled, as she took several steps back.

Suddenly a wall of black divided the group from Ino, the summoner, and his other captives. It buzzed with life, and started moving towards them. Shino spread out his hands, and his insects poured out of his sleeves.

Shino gasped, as the 'fleas' rushed forward and devoured his insects without stopping.

"They won't respond anymore. That is because they've joined that mass of bugs." He told everyone.

"If you won't join my cause willingly, let my children convince you in another manner." The man raised an arm towards the shinobi.

"Don't ingest any of those things; you'll wind up like Ino and the rest of them." Shikamaru jumped backwards, covering his mouth.

"But what about Ino? We can't leave her!" Sakura tried to stop everyone from exiting the cave, still clinging to the hope that she could save her best friend. She thought back to her earlier conversation with Ino:

_"__I'll come too; I can take a look at your arm." Sakura finished, smiling. She wasn't going to let Ino go off alone, she knew when something was wrong with her best friend._

_ "__I'm a medic too, Sakura." Ino said, but seemed to relent as Sakura grew more determined. Ino isn't fighting this battle alone, Sakura promised that to herself._

"I'm a medic too, Ino." Sakura said. She tore off part of her sleeve, and tied it around her mouth and nose. She had practiced holding her breath, and was adept at it. She'll treat this like Sasori's poisonous gas.

"Sakura, get back here." Shikamaru sighed, she was being troublesome. He cared about Ino too, but going back in there was suicide. They needed to regroup, and they needed to think of a plan to save Ino. Scratch that, _he_ needed to think of a plan to save Ino.

Sakura smashed a fist to the ground, and pieces of flying rock caused the fleas to move apart for just a second, but a second was all she needed to get through them and over to Ino.

"Sakura let go. I'm a ninja, and I'm supposed to follow orders. My orders are to stay here and help destroy the Leaf Village." Ino said, dazed. Luckily, she didn't protest as Sakura carried her on her back, and busted through the fleas once more.

They met the rest of their friends outside and readjusted to the sun. From inside they heard the man say, "That's right shinobi of the Leaf, go back to your pathetic village. Tell the tale of your retreat at my hands."

Carrying Ino once more, they headed back to the leaf village, taking one last look at the basin as the black insects completely surrounded it.

Shino seemed sad. "My insects are gone…" he whimpered.

* * *

"I see, so one could call him an insect specialist." Tsunade rested her elbows on her desk, and her chin on her intertwined hands.

She listened to her shinobi's accounts of their mission, and was disturbed. This sickness was actually a literal _bug_.

"Shizune, I want you to go issue an order to close down the Hot Springs for now, and get some ABNU to guard it. Instruct everyone to allow no entry, unless permitted by me." Tsunade finished signing the official document and handed it to Shizune.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Her assistant said before quickly exiting the room.

"Bring Ino here, Sakura." The Hokage sat Ino in a chair and a green chakra glowed around her hands as she brought them to Ino's arm. She gasped and pulled her hands closer, looking with more intensity.

"There's some sort of worm crawling around in her arm, and it's slowly making its way towards the surface of her skin."

The shinobi grimaced in horror as something long and white exited out of a small hole in Ino's arm. Tsunade put the specimen in a clear jar filled with water, and quickly applied alcohol to the open wound.

Ino screamed as the parasite left her body, before widening her eyes and clutching her arm. "It's gone! I can think straight again. That thing entered my mouth when I had my head under the spring. It was so small; I thought it was just water."

"That must be its premature form, as a flea." Sakura stated.

"Some forms of Insects are drawn to water, as a means to be ingested by a human. These bugs however, are full of chakra, and are controlled by a singular person. They act as a parasite and affect the mental state of the infected." Shino told the inhabitants of the room.

"So that guy planted those things in the Hot Springs?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru stared at the worm wriggling around in the jar. "No, I don't think so. You saw how he summoned thousands of those things. I think he released them all over the village, and the Hot Springs has been the easiest way to get infected. They seem to mainly target shinobi, he did mention wanting to cripple the Leaf."

"It's like a plague…" Ino said wistfully.

Tsunade stood up. "Fine, we'll combat this bug specialist with our own. Get me the _pride_ of the Aburame Clan, Aburame Shibi."

* * *

***I know that was an extremely long chapter, 2274 words. Sorry? For some reason, I couldn't find out who the official head of the Aburame clan is, so I just went with Shino's father, Shibi. Thanks for reading this! :-P**

**Also, did you know the parasite I based this off of is somewhat real? It's called the Guinea Worm, they start out as small larvae that fit inside of water fleas. Water fleas hang around in pools and then the people swimming in the pools ingest the fleas. They grow two to three feet long inside of the body, and they burrow to the surface of the skin. The burning blister it creates makes people want to dump it in water and it reproduces all over again. It's really creepy!**


	4. Stage 4

"This is all very peculiar." Aburame Shibi said stoically, upon being filled in on the week's events.

"It's the first thing he's said in_ hours_." Sakura whispered to Naruto, who was starting to doubt Shibi's speech capability.

"Yes…" Lady Tsunade shot a quick glare at Sakura. "Even more troubling, more cases are being reported, despite the Hot Springs being shut down."

Naruto gripped the wall, stumbling a few steps and looking visibly shaken.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Lee and Shikamaru asked in unison, propping the blonde up on their shoulders.

Naruto stared at the two worriedly, before asking, "What if…there are some of those things at _Ichiraku's_?"

Everyone excluding Naruto himself, Sakura, and Lady Tsunade lowered their heads and shook them.

Naruto now shook with a _valid_ sense of utter terror, as Sakura's face hardened and she rolled her sleeve up, stepping towards him. But it was Tsunade's fist that connected with his face first, sending him flying (Literally) past Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai on his way out.

"Yo. You wanted to see us?" Kakashi spoke for the assortment of Jonin.

Ino slipped slyly over towards Asuma, who was standing next to Kurenai.

"So, you and Kurenai Sensei, huh?" She asked, nudging his arm with her elbow.

Rather than responding, Asuma gasped and changed the subject. "So, Lady Fifth, is this about that file you sent out?" He tossed the information brief on the Hokage's desk with a papery flop.

Shibi spoke, startling the Sensei. "We'll be grouping together to come up with a solution. If need be, at the very least, a temporary one."

"Let's meet at the Third Training Ground then." Kurenai said, unaware that everyone saw her unconsciously, but still lightly brush her hand past Asuma's upon exiting.

* * *

"What are these three logs here for?" Kiba carved a sketch of Akamaru into the middle one, with a kunai.

Kakashi, briefly glancing back, shrugged and said, "Bell Test."

"Bell test? What do you mean by 'Bell Te—'" Neji started to ask, before deciding it may not be best to get involved with Team Seven's shenanigans.

"Could you make some chairs or something Captain Yamato? I mean you stalked us all the way here." Naruto waved the ABNU member over as he descended from the trees surrounding the clearing, bouncing over the log Kiba had carved into.

With a defeated look, and a few hand signs, Yamato reluctantly created eight wooden benches. Hinata squeaked in surprise as the once solid ground below her lurched into a seat.

"Benches and poles aren't all the Wood style is good for you know…" Yamato sighed, and sat down next to a previously aloof Shino.

Neji, Lee, and Kiba were seated together too, as were Kakashi and Guy (this particular seating arrangement was initiated by Guy of course), Naruto and Sai, Kurenai and Asuma, Hinata and Tenten, Choji and Shikamaru, and lastly, Ino and Sakura. Rather than sit by anyone and risk conversation, Shibi stood in the center of where all eight benches faced.

"I'll take notes for this session." Said Sai, as he removed his drawing pad and brush from his pack.

"Kiba, can Ninken sniff out parasites?" Tenten asked, hoping Akamaru and his kin would save the day.

"No, those things didn't have a smell. All we can do is track that little bit of chakra they've stored inside of them." Kiba replied sheepishly.

"Shino, can your Kikaichu follow the pheromones secreted by those parasites?" Hinata questioned, half expecting a 'no' even if it was a lie. Shino hadn't spoke for a whole day after some of his insects were absorbed by that mob they faced. Though, she wasn't sure if that was abnormal.

Flying out from his sleeve and onto his outreached finger, one of Shino's insects landed.

"Ordinarily, the male Kikaichu can trace the female Kikaichu by her scent." Shino pointed to the glands which make that practice possible. "However, _those_ parasites aren't traceable. That is because they are basically flying, simpleminded, pieces of chakra."

"What do they eat?" Choji asked.

Shibi however, answered for his son. "Anything they are commanded to."

"If they're that capable, it doesn't make any sense." Kurenai half said, half asked.

"I agree. Why not use them like all-terrain termites instead of illnesses?" Shikamaru stated curiously.

"Maybe the guy isn't that smart after all." Naruto brightened.

"Or maybe his motives are much different that we imagined. For all we know, he could be trying to take over the leaf when it's at its weakest." Asuma cut in.

The evening wind at this point felt just as ominous and chilling as the silence they shared.

"The community may just have to go without water for a few weeks, unless it's thoroughly checked." Kakashi offered.

"That would only create more problems, and such a wide-scale change could scare Konoha citizens." Yamato sighed.

"Evacuate the village?"

"No, too drastic."

"Examine every building and water source?"

"Most of our resources are gone."

Over the next few hours, the Leaf shinobi shot up, and shot down many ideas regarding the matter.

As a last resort, Tenten resolved to ask Sai, "Have you come up with anything?"

Sai flipped through refined, and some disturbing, drawings of Leaf villagers and scenery. There was even one of the Nine-Tails, otherwise known as Kurama, which astonished Naruto.

"Well," He showed the group his diagram of the parasitic flea in water, then the adult worm form. "Earlier, I stopped at the hospital and ascertained a few samples. They've informed me that as a worm only, the creatures die after being removed from water, for an hour." He drew a few more notes before taking a jar out of his pack.

"This specimen, I've been doing my own tests on." The group watched the pale worm wriggle weakly in the water.

"Why is it moving so slowly?" Kiba inspected the jar closer.

"Originally, this was a flea. When I mixed a few things together, the solution caused the flea to rapidly advance to its worm stage." Sai started.

Sai, it looks like it's dying." Kakashi blinked at the creature.

"It looks like a long piece of rice." Choji added.

Ignoring Choji's comment, Sai explained. "It _is_ dying; the mixture is slowly killing it. In fact, all seven specimens have expired this same way."

The worm was swimming lower and lower, and at shorter intervals.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Let's pour that compound into the Konoha water supply! Neji, Tenten, let's treat this like a training exercise!" Lee said abruptly, and stood.

"Very well… the first material is just this small paralyzing herb. When mixed with my ink, it works as a toxin. Both of these things can be found at almost any local supply store." Sai quickly sketched a drawing of the herb, and handed it to Ino. Sakura and Ino memorized its scientific name and color scheme.

"The last material… is 'Gold Dust'. Its weight and magnetic field weigh down and disrupt the chakra of the parasites. This, combined with the toxin, kills them in exactly three hours." Sai waited for the shinobi to realize what this meant.

"Wait, isn't Gold Dust only found in—"

Sai smiled and interrupted, "Pure Gold Dust is found exclusively in Suna. We'll have to talk to the Kazekage about obtaining some when we arrive."


	5. Stage 5

***I'm deeply sorry for not updating for somewhere around 525,600 minutes! :(**

It wasn't the lack of water that Yamato disliked about Sunagakure, or even the heat. It was the sand. With it, there came accidents, sand in places sand should never be, and the most dangerous of it all—

"Sandstorm!" Hinata cried, Byakugan staring off in the distance at the oncoming disaster.

Yes, Yamato hated sandstorms…almost as much as he hated spending his money.

"Yamato." Kakashi commanded sharply.

Using Earth release, Yamato raised a large portion of the ground as high as a small hill. During a sand or dust storm, high ground is ideal. Giving no time for the rest of his team to react, he spawned a thick wooden dome around the group.

Naruto called into the pitch black murkiness that was their threshold, "Does anyone have a match?"

"This structure is made of _wood_." Neji hinted.

"So we're going to sit here for who-knows-how-long until the storm lets up?" Ino asked in no particular direction.

"In the dark." Sai added, to Naruto's dismay.

Feeling around for Akamaru, Kiba questioned, "How do we pass the time?"

On the opposite side of the enclosure, sounds of exertion that could only be assumed as Lee's were heard.

Waving their hands in front of their eyes (at least they thought that's where their eyes were), and discussing every detail of their mission, the Leaf shinobi got through the two hour sandstorm.

* * *

**Konoha Messenger Bird P.O.V**.

I circled around a seed shaped building in the center of the sand village. It looked official enough to me, so my screech pierced the air as I descend towards the robed figure standing outside. Why is he wearing robes and a hat in _this_ heat?

Before I even fully land on his hand, he takes the scroll I was sent here with out from my talons. A few flaps and I'm off to the Leaf again, but not before catching a glimpse of an extremely large wooden nest suspended above the ground, by the oddest tree I've ever seen.

* * *

"So you've arrived." Gaara (somewhat) greeted the exhausted shinobi.

All eyes turned to the door as a friendly looking sand-nin entered, with plates of food for the Kazekage and his guests. For a few minutes, there was only eating.

"Lord Kazekage…" Shikamaru started, alternating between levels of formality and familiarity. "Do you have any Gold Dust around?"

Gaara thought for a moment before replying. "In the past, Gold Dust was our nation's currency. Now discontinued, it's not nearly as plentiful. Gathering as much as your letter described could take a few days, to even a week." The Kazekage went silent again, and planned ahead for if this _infestation_ made its way into the Sand village.

"With all due respect Gaara, we don't have that long. Konoha is running on mostly Genin now." Sakura interjected.

"I see." Gaara said, motioning to a nearby guard and whispering in his ear.

Grabbing his gourd, the Kazekage stood in front of his desk. "As Konoha's ally, we'll do everything we can." He led the Konoha 11 (and company) out of his office.

Every door down the stuffy hallway had to be opened by rapidly forming secret seals, and with every checkpoint the number of guards seemed to increase. The largest vault the group came to was heavily guarded, but opened easily after Gaara commenced the same rapid signing as earlier.

Inside was an array of various currencies, ranging from germs, to coins, to a small cardboard box of Gold Dust… that was half empty.

Shino picked up the box and stared into it, "And this is all?"

Gaara nodded apologetically.

"Well, this is enough to at least cleanse the Hot Spring." Kakashi said in an optimistic tone that somewhat surprised the vault's inhabitants.

The Kunoichi left with a local botanist, to arrange medicinal herbs along with the one Sai requested. The guys wandered around Suna, leaving Gaara to tend to his duties.

* * *

**? P.O.V.**

"Those brats." Akujo pushed her way through the Konoha ninja that mindlessly roamed around, deactivating her mirror and picking strands of her blonde hair from her brush.

"Yes. They seek to delay the inevitable." I reactivated Akujo's 'magic mirror' (as she calls it) and observed the group one more time. They've even got the Kazekage to aid their cause. That's fine, I've got allies too.

I snapped an order at my henchmen, "Akunin, Akujo, throw them off our trail. Do whatever you have to do."

Akunin cracked a devious smile, one filled with his bloodlust and excitement. His skin blistered, the way his Kekkei Genkai caused him to whenever he itched to fight. Akujo undid the seal protecting our basin from any unwanted guests.

"So, who should I be today?" She asked Akunin, and tapped her pressure points rapidly. She glowed before transforming.

"Sharingan Kakashi?" she giggled and morphed into the silver haired enemy.

"Or maybe a rouge from my village, Hidan." She became another silver haired man whom I've never seen before, but who wore the Akatsuki cloak.

"Ha, Akujo. Do you have thing for silver hair today?" Akunin joked, his skin blistering still.

The duo leapt out of the cave, and into the water below. They weren't the best company, but they sure showed more emotion that Konoha's zombified ninja, who I'm currently stuck with. With that nosey group of Leaf ninja out of the way, I can finally commence the reformation of Konoha. I just have to sit and wait until the job is done.


End file.
